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| To my Godfather and Benefactor Jean Roy |
I spoke about the generosity and selflessness of Charles Harrell Moran in the post God, Others, and Ourselves. Today's post could be seen as a followup since it is all about a little French boy who was orphaned in World War I and who was "adopted" by Charles Harrell Moran through The Fatherless Children of France organization. I must admit however my skepticism about the organization and wonder if it was a scam.
Letter One, page 1
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| Oct 13, 1918 page 1 |
Epinay sur Orge, 13th October 1918
My dear benefactor,
I am still to young to write you a nice long letter myself to thank you for your great kindness in adopting me as your Godson of War, and for the ten francs you sent me. I was named after my two grand-fathers, Jean Joel Roy. My paternal grandparents are dead, but I am happy to have my maternal grandparents still. I am six years old. I was born on the eighth of February 1912, at Levallois Perres, near Paris, where my father Benjamin Roy was a school master. He was killed near Peronne departement of the Lomme, on the 26 September 1914, scarcely two months after the declaration of War.
Letter One, page 2
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| Oct 13, 1918 page 2 |
I have a sister four years older than myself, her name is Suzanne. She lives with my grand parents at Conflans-sur-Seine since she was about a year old. I am with mamma who is a governess at Epinay-sur-Orge. I spend my holidays at Conflans with my grandparents who are teachers also, and I am very happy with them and I enjoy myself very much there. During the last holidays many English, Italian and French soldiers came to the village, but no Americans. My grandmother had a military costume made for me, with the number of my father's regiment, 17th territorial infantry. She had my photo taken in it with my sister Suzanne- I am sending it to you.
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| A mon cher Parrain Monsieur C.H. Moran Jean Roy 6ans 1/2 Suzanne Roy 10 ans 1/2 |
Mamma is going to have another taken as you asked and I shall send it to you.
Letter One, page 3
I don't remember my father, being only two years old when he went away, but his portrait is in mamma's bedroom, and I see it every day.
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| Oct 13, 1918 page 3 |
I am learning to read and write with mamma who teacher other little children. I begin to know a little and I send you a few word in French as a sample of what I can do. My great uncle Edouard Ramette was a Minister at Lowell, Massachusetts. In spite of his age, he belonged to the American Army as Director of "Foyer du Soldat".
My aunt Marguerite who has learnt English will answer your kind letter, and she says she will teach me English when I am older. I shall then be able to correspond myself
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| Oct 13, 1918 page 4 |
Letter One, page 4
with you.
With my mother's and my grandparents' best thanks in which I join, believe me, my dear Godfather your affectionate Godson.
Jean Roy
Cher parrain. Je vous remercie beaucoup de vos bontes. et je vous embrasse comme je vous aime.
Jean Roy
Translated: Dear sponsor. I thank you very much for your kindness. and I embrace you as I love you.
Letter Two
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| Letter Two page 1 Original in French |
Letter two, dated May 12, 1919, was written by "Widow Nauguer Marthe" in French. Actually, I'm not sure if this is related to Jean Roy or not because his last name is Roy and this woman's name is not Roy! Also, in the letter she says her husband died a few days before the birth of his son. Jean Roy has stated twice that his father died when he was two years old. Maybe C.H. Moran sponsored two French orphas?
I don't think C.H. Moran knew French because there is an enclosed translation of the letter done by F.C. EZELL. The stationery used by F.C. Ezell says Leaf Tobacco, Dresden, Tenn. I have not yet figured out how this Ezell may be related to the Moran's. The other interesting thing is that F.C. spells their name EZELL whereas all of the others spell it EZZELL. So that's another thing to add to my to-do list. Here is LETTER TWO:
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| Letter two page 2 Original in French |
Translation of Letter Two, page 1 by F.C. Ezell
Montblanc, May 12, 1919
Sir and Dear Benefactor,
Thru your generosity I have just received a second aid of 45 francs and I come to thank you for it as I did for the last contribution. I hope that you will have received my letter of thanks.
Excuse me if in this interval I have not written to you: I have been seriously ill and been very busy; for we have been obliged to change our residence. The proprietors having sold the house in which we were living we are staying at present at Montblanc, 15 kilometers from our former home.
Your little adopted orphan is in splendid health , is growing fast and is very wise. He speaks often of his protector from America; he would like to know if you have a little boy of his age and that when he is larger he will have learned to read and write and will send him some letters.
Every day he goes to school and he already knows almost all the letter os the alphabet. Moreover he is very intelligent and learned quickly everything
Translation of Letter Two, page 2 by F.C. Ezell
that is told to him. He knows his prayers well and says it every day. What a joy if his poor father had had the happiness of seeing him; it was not to be that, for he was killed six days before my little one came into the world. This has been very cruel for me for I have been compelled to have only care for my child.
Generous benefactor I have wished to lighten our difficulties and my son and I keep for you an undying gratitude.
Thanking you for your kindness, accept dear Benefactor, my thanks and the expression of my profound gratefulness.
Widow Nouguier Marthe
Montblanc (Herault) France
P.S. In order to be sure that you have received my correspondence I am registering my letter.
Letter Three
Epinay, 22nd December 1919
My dear God-father and Benefactor,
Yesterday I received a letter from the Director of the fatherless children of France in Paris, on which he told me that you are so kind as to continue your assistance for the new year.
I thank you very much and also mother for your generosity.
I will try to deserve your kind offices, and I shall take pains with all my heart at school.
Now, I am in the "high school",. I mean in the 'boys' school", since the month of October and I earned the second place; mother wants me to be the first scholar in my class.
Once again, thank you, my dear Benefactor, may I beg you will kindly accept the assurance of the deep respect of your
Affectionate God-son,
Jean Roy
Letter Four page 1
Epinay, 6th April 1920
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| Letter four April 1920 page 1 |
My dear Godfather and Benefactor,
I want, and mamma also, to thank you for the check which we have received a few days ago, and you may be sure that we never forget all your kindness.
I always study my best at school, and I obtained the first place in the composition of the last month.
My father was a school-master, and was killed in the beginning of the war (on September 1914), mamma received a letter from my father's Director. Here is what he says to mamma: "the Government has sent me a commemorative medal in the name of Mr. Roy. This medal is to be placed in Mr. Roy's class, which will bear his name
Letter Four page 2
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| Letter four April 1920 page 2 |
in the future. A ceremony will shortly take place to that purpose and I beg you to be present at that ceremony. Please, be so kind as to forward me, as soon as possible, a photo of Mr. Roy. I destine it to a picture in which the medal will be enclosed. This picture is to be placed in the class."
Mamma has sent him a large portrait of papa, and answered that she will be present at the ceremony, also grandfather, grandmother, aunt Marguerite and I.
I was only a baby two years old when my poor daddy has gone away. I never saw him again, but in spite of that, I remember him very well. (It's interesting that Jean Roy remembers him very well in this letter because in the first letter on page three he states "I don't remember my father, being only two years old when he went away".)
We are all happy to see that our Country has kept his memory and will pay the last honor to him, but how we should have preferred he
Letter Four page 3
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| Letter four April 1920 page 3 |
comes back near us for ever.
This regret for the loss of me dear daddy brings me, naturaly, to express to you all the gratitude of France for America and I beg you to receive, my dear Godfather and Benefactor, the best regards from
Your affectionate and grateful Godson,
Jean Roy 8 ans a Epinay-sur-Orge (Seine-etOise) France
Letter Five page 1
Epinay 13th January 1921
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| Letter five page 1 |
My dear Godfather and Benefactor,
Mamma has just received today the check of Frs. 45, set in your name by the Director of "The Fatherless Children of France"; we thank you so much, and we take the opportunity to offer you our best wishes for the new year. I pray God to have you and your family in his safe and holy keeping.
We were present at the "Christmas Tree"; it was a nice feast given by the "Combatants Association". There were toys, oranges, cakes, clothes, dress for the Fatherless Children of War; also a puppet-show (which is called in French "Guiguol"). The puppets beat on another with
Letter Five page 2
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| Letter five page 2 |
sticks; we had a very good time for it was full of fun.
Here is my photo. I give you it as an affectionate and grateful remembrance from
Your little Godson,
Jean Roy
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| Jean Roy |
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| Letter six, page 1 |
Letter Six Page 1
Epinay, 5th July 1921
My dear Godfather and Benefactor,
First, we want to thank you very much, Mother and I, for the check of 45f, which we have received from the Director of the Fatherless Children of France.
Last Saturday, the match between Dempsey and Carpentier took place at Jersey City; it was exactly a quarter to nine (that is to say: a quarter to four in America) when we knew that Carpentier was knock out as soon as the fourth round.
Letter Six Page 2
Every body was at the windows, or in the streets, to see the aeroplanes throwing up red rockets; in a moment, we saw two white rockets, and we understood that the victorious was Jack Dempsey.
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| Letter six, page 2 |
Of course, we should have liked to see Carpentier victorious, but mother said we must remember this; Dempsey is the countryman of the strong soldiers who have come from America, to ehlp us against the "Boches". (Boche was an offensive slang term of the period for Germans, particularly German soldiers of the first and second World Wars)
In that moment we did not complain that the American had the fist too hard.
Now, my dear Godfather, in a month, it is the long vacation; I go at my grand parents' house, and I intend to have a very good time, like every year.
Letter Six Page 3
Before enclosing my letter, I send my dear Godfather and Benefactor, also Mamma, our best thoughts and gratitude.
Your affectionate Godson,
Jean Roy
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